Washington State volleyball eliminated from NCAA Tournament by San Diego

From staff reports

SAN DIEGO – Friday marked the three-month mark since San Diego last experienced defeat on a volleyball court.

Washington State offered some resistance Friday, but the No. 2-seeded Toreros collected their 26th consecutive win with a 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 25-15 victory over the seventh-seeded Cougars in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Pia Timmer and Magda Jehlarova combined for 11 kills in the third game to get the Cougars (23-10) back into contention, but San Diego (29-1) restored control in the fourth game to seal the match.

San Diego proved particularly formidable in crucial moments at the end of the first two games.

WSU battled back from a five-point deficit to square the opening set at 17 with a Laura Jansen kill. The Cougars stayed close, trailing 20-19 after Timmer’s kill, but San Diego reeled off five points in a row to close out the game.

The Cougars trailed 21-16 in the second game before scoring four straight points. Timmer posted two kills, and Katy Ryan and Jehlarova each had one in the spurt.

Another Timmer kill pulled WSU within 23-22, but Breana Edwards and Katie Lukes closed out the game with respective kills for the Toreros.

Timmer finished with 21 kills, Ryan added 13 and Jansen 10. Setter Argentina Ung distributed 43 assists, and libero Karly Basham had 23 digs.

Edwards had a match-high 23 kills for the Toreros, who have not lost since Sept. 2 against Louisville.